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WINDSOR PARK STALLION TURNS ON THE CHARM

Buyers have sided with Windsor Park Stud’s freshman stallion Charm Spirit at Karaka. The demand for the first crop of the son of Invincible Spirit was expected to be keen and pre-sale hopes have been realised through the opening sessions of the Book 1 Sale. “He’s averaging around $130,000 and they’ve been a really strong line of horses,” studmaster Rodney Schick said. “We’re really happy with the way things have been going. We were pretty confident coming into the sale. “The othe...

More Than Ready colt equals Day One benchmark

A solid finish to the selling action on Day One of the annual Karaka Yearling Sale saw a More Than Ready colt match the day’s top price when he was knocked down to the $500,000 bid of local trainer, Allan Peard. The stunning bay colt was consigned through the Haunui Farm draft as Lot 84 and is out of Redoute’s Choice mare, Buckling. The mare is the dam of quality sprinter Ego, who numbered the Gr. 2 Concorde Handicap (1200m) amongst his six career victories. A visibly relieved Peard endured ...

Blueblood filly sets cracking pace at Karaka Day One.

Experienced bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne played a superb game of brinkmanship to secure a royally-bred filly on the first evening on the annual NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Hawthorne found himself on the backfoot during the closing stages of an intense bidding war for Lot 48, a Tavistock filly by outstanding broodmare Bagalollies. The upstanding bay filly is a full sister to 2015-16 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther as well as Gr. 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Gobstopper and Gr....

NZB Insurance Pearl Series Bonus race target for Indecision the right decision

There was definitely no indecision with the way Indecision won the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Bonus race at Avondale recently.The four-year-old daughter of Per Incanto(USA) streaked away to a four length win in the rating 65 1200 metre event, franking the form that had seen her run second in Pearl Series races at Matamata and Rotorua over the past month.According to part-owner Cherry Taylor, the decrease in distance made all the difference.“It’s fantastic to win a Pearl Bonus it’s a big bo...

New territory for Mana Park at Karaka 2018

Well known racing commentator George Simon admits that he and wife Maryanne have been thrown in at the deep end a little as they prepare to submit their first draft to the annual NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka.The popular Cambridge couple have prepared eight yearlings under their Mana Park banner which is more commonly associated with excellence at the annual NZ Ready To Run Sale for two-year-olds. Mana Park presented their first Ready To Run draft in 2005 with triple Group One winner...

Young vendors set to make impact at Karaka

A snap decision taken just over 20 months ago could pay off in spades if exciting two-year-old filly She’s A Thief can land the major spoils in next Saturday’s Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie.Young Cambridge-based couple, Adrian Stanley and Hannah Kettlety, have made a name for themselves through their pin-hooking endeavours in recent years after establishing their Woburn Farm brand in 2012. The pair have quietly built their reputation on a good eye for a young horse, having success...

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Sniff of Group One glory for Bradbury Park

Bradbury Park came close to experiencing Group One success last Saturday, but has still had plenty to celebrate recently in the countdown to the National Yearling Sales. The Matamata-based establishment prepared Belle du Nord for the 2016 National Yearling Sales at Karaka and last weekend the daughter of Reliable Man finished a close second to Age Of Fire in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m). It is the second time the Cambridge-trained filly has been Group One runner-up. Last season she chased home...

Valachi Downs add international flavour to Karaka

Kevin Hickman’s international search for quality bloodstock will add considerable interest to the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales, which starts on January 28. The owner of Valachi Downs, a boutique thoroughbred stud located near Matamata, has a broodmare band that features pedigrees from around the world. Hickman passionately sources mares in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Each season the mares visit some of the best stallions New Zealand and Australi...

Charm Spirit off to a flyer

Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Charm Spirit will be represented by his first crop of yearlings at Karaka later this month and confidence levels are high in the stud’s camp. This comes off the back of a strong Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where the farm sold four Charm Spirit yearlings for an average of A$216,000. “It’s a great start,” Windsor Park Stud principal Rodney Schick said. “To be the second leading first season sire in one of the biggest Australian sales is huge...

Strong line-up of fillies to boost Blandford’s proud record

Blandford Lodge has a proud roll of honour with Group One winning graduates including the likes of Lucia Valentina, Criterion, Pasadena Girl and Singapore star Better Than Ever. The Matamata farm heads to this month’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales, which starts on January 28, with a string of yearlings likely to add to the list. Blandford Lodge is owned by Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax with Wellington businessman Lib Petagna, all parties having a long and successful involvement w...

Avantage takes her second NZB Insurance Pearl Bonus home

Unbeaten filly Avantage (Fastnet Rock[AUS]) gave her rivals a start and a beating in an impressive performance at Ellerslie on Sunday and in doing so picked up her second NZB Insurance Pearl Series Bonus.Having her first start since winning a NZB Insurance Pearl Series 2YO race at Riccarton in November, the royally bred Fastnet Rock filly was slow away in the race, with rider Opie Bosson having no option but to ride for luck as the combination settled last in the seven-horse field. Bosson h...

New blood secured by iconic NZ farm

Cambridge Stud’s new owners have already made a significant move into the stallion market. Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who take over the iconic nursery in April, have purchased a 50 per cent interest in the Group One winner Embellish. The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Savabeel colt’s stallion profile was given a major boost in November when he triumphed in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. Te Akau principal David Ellis confirmed Embellish will be raced by current o...

Rich Hill Stud poised for life after Pentire

John Thompson believes Rich Hill Stud is well-placed to build on all the success the Walton nursery enjoyed with the late stallion Pentire. With wife Colleen, he went out on a limb to secure the English-bred son of Be My Guest, who subsequently made his mark at the elite level from his base near Matamata. "He was 25, but I thought he was going to live forever - he was still serving and so healthy and well," Thompson said when their foundation stallion passed away last November. Pentire left 16 i...

Busy times for NZTBA member Marie Leicester

Each year the National Yearling Sales holds plenty of interest for Marie Leicester, but this time there’s more happening for her both before and after she attends Karaka. The successful Auckland owner-breeder is a regular vendor at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales and her four-strong draft at Karaka will include a cracking Not A Single Doubt – Meleka Belle filly (Lot 371), whose profile could be boosted on New Year’s Day. The filly is a half-sister to last season’s NZ C...

Auckland/Waikato Yearling Inspection Tour

Stuart Hale's annual Auckland/Waikato Yearling Inspection Tour will take place from Sunday 7th January to Friday 12th January. The tour enables prospective purchasers to inspect yearlings catalogued for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series, which commences on Sunday 28th January. All are welcome for this free tour, with a bus departing from the Cambridge BP (98 Victoria Street, Cambridge) on a daily basis. To confirm your attendance and for further enquiries contact Stuart H...

Highly Recommended to stand at Cambridge Stud

Following the recent sale of Cambridge Stud to Brendan and Jo Lindsay, and the appointment of Henry Plumptre as chief executive from April 2018, a new resident stallion has been confirmed for 2018. Highly Recommended will join the Cambridge Stud roster next season, standing alongside Tavistock, Power and Burgundy, having stood at Berkley Stud near Christchurch since his retirement in 2013.  "We were approached to stand Highly Recommended at Cambridge Stud and we believe that this decision i...

Further boost for Bradbury Park

Matamata couple Casey and Michelle Dando are living the dream and results like Crack Me Up’s Gr.2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) win at Randwick last Saturday are all part of it.It provided a timely boost for the Dando’s Bradbury Park going into Karaka’s National Yearling Sales at which its 28-strong draft includes Crack Me Up’s half-brother by Reliable Man being offered in Book 1 (Lot 111) on January 28. “The win should attract some more interest in the colt,” Dando said. “He’s ty...

Pearl Series Win for NZTBA Councillor

South Island NZTBA Councillor Gus Wigley has always been a supporter of the NZB Insurance Pearl Series and each year has always nominated a number of fillies. Last Friday at Wingatui, he was rewarded for his perseverance when Raven Darkholme (Iffraj[IRE]-Mystique), won a 1400 metre maiden race which happened to be a NZB Insurance Pearl Series race. “This is the first bonus we have won and we have nominated a few fillies over the years,” the Inglewood Stud General Manager said, “and we did...